Colorectal Cancer is the fourth most common cancer diagnosed in the United States of America each year. In addition to being common, it is dangerous. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men and the third cause of cancer deaths for women in the United States. Colorectal cancer develops in the colon; otherwise known as large intestine, and/or the rectum. Through continuous medical research, there are now screening tests that can help detect Colorectal Cancer before it can result in severe disease and/or death. These screening tests help to make Colorectal Cancer either preventable, or treatable at its most early stage. Recommended Read:  Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer In order to better understand Colorectal Cancer, it is essential to understand the normal anatomy of the human body, so that abnormalities can be identified. The gastrointestinal tract begins with the mouth and ends with the anus. The gastrointestinal tract travels from the mouth, down the esophagus into the stomach, which leads to the small intestines. The small intestines then connect to the large intestines. There are four sections to the large intestines or colon. The first portion of the colon is the ascending portion. The first section of the ascending colon is the cecum, which is the area that connects the end of the small intestines to the beginning of the large intestines.

Colorectal Cancer in most cases is a slow growing cancer that can sometimes take decades to grow. While it is a slow growing cancer, it is still the second leading cause of cancer death in men and the third leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States of America. It remains the leading cause of cancer deaths because many people are asymptomatic until the tumor has become large and/or the cancer cells have spread to distant sites. Some common signs and symptoms associated with Colon Cancer include: change in bowel habits rectal bleeding and/or blood within stool abdominal pain a feeling that one cannot completely expel to contents of their bowel through bowel movement weight loss fatigue and/or weakness Patients may also notice change in their current bowel habits. For example, when an individual is having a bowel movement, they may notice more periods of constipation and/or more periods of diarrhea. Some individuals notice long pencil-thin stools and the feeling that they are unable to empty their intestines. Individuals may also notice gross blood visualized by the human eye in the toilet bowl. If there is gross blood in stool, it can be a sign of Colon Cancer.

There are two well-researched genetic causes of Colorectal Cancer . These genetic causes include: Hereditary Non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. While those diseases are passed down from one generation to another, most causes of Colorectal Cancer occur because of gene mutations that are acquired during one’s lifetime. These acquired mutations only affect the individual and are not passed down from one generation to the next. Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC), also called Lynch Syndrome, is a genetic disease that affects generations. There are specific genes within the individual’s DNA that have been damaged. When that specific DNA repair enzyme is not able to fix those mutations, then they are passed on to the individual and can actually result in cancer formation. It is the specific genes that can contribute to the development of Colorectal Cancer. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) are also inherited gene mutations that are passed from one generation to the next generation. These changes directly affect a tumor suppressor gene known as the APC gene. The tumor suppressor gene, in its normal function, is responsible for making sure that the cells do not outlive their normal life cycle. When this APC gene is mutated, then there is not any regulation to the cell cycle and the result is cells that overgrow.

The most common way Colorectal Cancer is diagnosed is when patient’s present to the physician’s office with signs/symptoms that are abnormal for their health. Individual’s usually present with rectal bleeding and/or the host of other symptoms addressed in the above section. In order to detect Colorectal Cancer in its early stages, a screening test has also been placed in the guidelines so that Colorectal Cancer can be diagnosed before symptoms appear. In either case, whether symptoms are present or absent, the test of choice for Colorectal Cancer diagnosis is Colonoscopy. A Colonoscopy is a flexible tube that has a video camera on it. The Gastroenterologist uses the flexible scope to visualize the entire large intestine and rectum. During this time, the physician will also be able to visualize areas of abnormalities and take biopsies of the affected areas. The physician will also, if clinically indicated, excise any polyps or tumors within the colon and/or rectum. Other routine lab work may be performed to look for clinical signs that can present with Colorectal Cancer. First, a CBC or Complete Blood Count may be performed to look for abnormalities within the red blood cells and/or white blood cells. It will also indicate if the patient has an iron deficiency anemia.

Each individual is unique; and thus, while one specific protocol may be the best treatment for one individual, it may not necessarily be the most appropriate for the next individual with the same disease. Therefore, it is essential to speak with your individual board certified physicians who have a better understanding of your unique anatomy and stage of disease. There are mainstay treatments and standards of care that can help guide your research when determining the best treatment option for your unique cancer. Recommended Read:  Stages of Colon Cancer and Rectal Cancer Those mainstay therapies include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Some tumors can be completely resected and may be the only treatment modality necessary for curing one’s cancer. However, that is something that must be discussed with one’s individual team of physicians who are better equipped to determine the most appropriate treatment plan that is unique to the individual patient. Other treatment modalities include radiation therapy. Radiation therapy may be appropriate and offer added benefit to kill those cancer cells in localized area. Chemotherapy may also be used, especially if there is distant spread of the cancer to other areas of the body. Chemotherapy works by entering the bloodstream and killing those cancer cells that have traveled through the blood to other tissues and organs.